Education Inequality - Issue Brief

7/26/2019 Education Inequality - Issue Brief

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/education-inequality-issue-brief 1/15

Education Inequality Across the Nation:

Some Children Are Being Left Behind

By: Kelsey Ort

We stand in the shado of !efferson ho "elie#ed that a society founded u$on the rule of

la and li"erty as de$endent u$on $u"lic education and the diffusion of %noledge&' (oe#er)

today*s current $u"lic education system is failing& +he inequalities "eteen ealthy and $oor

school districts across the country are groing in num"er and s$reading throughout the nation at

an alarming rate& A society once founded u$on $u"lic education has "ecome one that does not

$ro#ide equal education o$$ortunities for all& In fact) more than ,-. of lo income schools do

not get a fair share of state and local funds) and this is a $ro"lem that must "e mended&/

What is Education Inequality and Why is it Problematic?

0u"lic education once $layed a %ey role in ensuring that children of all "ac%grounds and

statuses recei#ed the $ro$er education that ould allo them to de#elo$ into successful

indi#iduals later in life& (oe#er) the current school system) hich is "ased $redominantly on

ta1es from mem"ers of the district*s surrounding community) has caused a su"stantial difference

in resource a#aila"ility "eteen the educational institutions throughout the country& Wealth is

"ecoming increasingly concentrated at the to$ of the income distri"ution) and this has created a

tremendous di#ide among districts of high and lo income regions2 as a result) the children ho

are attending these schools are recei#ing #arying degrees of education) causing an unnecessary

ga$ in the achie#ements "eteen students of differing districts&3

Educational inequality refers to the une#en distri"ution of education and resources among

certain social grou$s and is running ram$ant throughout the 4nited States) ro""ing students of a

uniform le#el of education) hich is essential to a $rolific economy as generations gro and



de#elo$ the means to "e $roducti#e mem"ers of society&, Inequality $ersists during a time hen

all youth should "e gi#en equal o$$ortunities to succeed in this e#er5groing and changing

orld& +oo many of America*s most disad#antaged children gro u$ ithout the s%ills needed to

thri#e in the tenty5first century&6 +here is a myriad of contri"uting factors hich constitute the

underlying causes "ehind this $henomenon that is $resent across the nation&

Among these factors is the fact that a ma7ority of society refuses to acce$t this $ro"lem or

aim to rectify the situation& 4nfortunately) the 4nited States is seeing an increase in the ga$

"eteen the ealthy and non5ealthy school districts& +he richest /6 $ercent of school districts

recei#e '6&8 $ercent more funds from state and local go#ernments $er student than the $oorest /6

$ercent of school districts) the federal 9e$artment of Education $ointed out in arch /-'6&8 +his

ga$ has "een steadily increasing) and does not a$$ear to "e on the decline at any $oint in the

foreseea"le future& In fact) the ga$ has gron ,, $ercent since /--'5-/) hen a student in a rich

district had only '-&; $ercent resource ad#antage o#er a student in a $oor district&< In less than

to decades) the ga$ "eteen ealthy and $oor school districts across the nation has nearly

dou"led) and this is causing serious ramifications for today*s school5age indi#iduals&

+o $ut this into $ers$ecti#e) the $oorest school district in the 4nited States) located in San

0erlita) +e1as) has a median annual household income of 7ust ='8)3;,) or less than third of the

national median income le#el& A ty$ical household in the Scarsdale) Ne >or% school district

earns =/3;),<; $er year&; 9ue to the fact that school districts are funded $rimarily from local and

state ta1es) these to districts are in no ay $ro#iding the same le#el of education) as can easily

"e #isuali?ed "y #ieing the folloing "ar gra$h hich de$icts the #ast differences among

2



income le#els "eteen these to areas of the 4nited States&

Median Household Income: San Perlita, Texas vs. Scarsdale, New York

olumn2

4nfortunately) the 4nited States has alays seen a negati#e stigma associated ith $oor

areas of the country& any indi#iduals feel as though those ho are li#ing in these areas and

ho are not a"le to $ro#ide for their families as ell as other $arts of the country ha#e "rought

this u$on themsel#es& As a result) $oorer $arts of the country are seen as ta"oo and are therefore

!



discriminated against& +his social construction of negati#e tensions "uilding around the idea that

the less fortunate indi#iduals of society are choosing to li#e this ay only ser#es to create a

ider ga$ among the education inequality struggle& If all of America ere to understand and

acce$t that these areas are not as%ing for this ty$e of lifestyle) then the ga$ "eteen the ealthy

and $oor school districts @ the ga$ that is causing a la$se in the ay the American education

system is meant to "e @ could "egin to "e tightened and $erha$s erased once and for all&

How Do We Begin to Solve his Problem?

ifty years ago) Congress $assed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act) or ESEA)

to address dis$arities "y $ro#iding +itle I federal funding to schools that ser#e students from

economically disad#antaged "ac%grounds& (oe#er) this la has not achie#ed its intended goal

to ensure that federal funding ould aid in struggling educational institutions& In actuality) more

than half of the states s$end feer dollars $er student in high5$o#erty districts than in lo5

$o#erty ones& In 0ennsyl#ania) for e1am$le) the highest5$o#erty districts s$end more than 3-

$ercent less $er student than the loest5$o#erty ones&'- In more than half of the states) there are

hundreds of high5$o#erty schools that recei#e less funding than schools that ser#e more5affluent

students&'' +his is an aful reality that has no dou"t contri"uted to the increase in education

inequality that can "e seen nationide&

Increasing the amount of funding that a school district recei#es is an issue in itself2

hoe#er) ith more funding a#aila"le for schools in high5$o#erty areas) the country ould most

definitely see an increase in $roducti#e mem"ers of society emerging from school districts such

as these& +he gra$hs that follo dis$lay the $ositi#e "enefits that 0ennsyl#ania as a"le to

im$lement "y increasing a fraction of the state funding2 the $otential for more im$ro#ement

de$ends u$on each state "eing illing to $ro#ide e#en more state funding&

"



At "oth

a federal

and state

le#el)

in#estments must "e made in lo5income schools in order to $roduce $ositi#e and su"stantial

outcomes for educationally dis$arate students& According to a recent National Bureau of

Economic esearch study) for $oor children) a /- $ercent increase in $er5$u$il s$ending each

year for all '/ years of $u"lic school is associated ith nearly a full additional year of com$leted

education) /6 $ercent higher earnings) and a /- $ercentage5$oint reduction in the annual

incidence of $o#erty in adulthood&'/

!air !unding Incentive "rants

In terms of tac%ling the issue of states $ro#iding a larger sum of money that is allocated

to lo5income districts) the idea of air unding Incenti#e Drants can "e discussed& Congress

initiated the No Child Left Behind Act in /--') "ut it has not "een u$dated to the standards in

hich it needs to "e&'3 While many indi#iduals "enefited from this Act) there are numerous ays

in hich the Center for American 0rogress) or CA0) has chosen to ste$ in and see% to alle#iate

the roots of the $ro"lem& One of these solutions is to initiate air unding Incenti#e Drants&

CA0*s $ro$osal ould ma%e the =' "illion a#aila"le in ne funding under +itle I for !air

#



!unding Incentive "rants to "e distri"uted to states2 states ould then distri"ute the funds to

districts #ia the e1isting +itle I formula&', +his $ro$osal ould $ro#ide incenti#e for states to

recei#e more federal funding) hile also encouraging them to $ut more money into their local

school systems to ensure a higher le#el of equality among all districts&

#inimum !unding Per Student

Along ith this idea comes that of minimum funding for all students& +hroughout the

country) there are a great deal of states ho ha#e $ro#en to not s$end enough money $er student

to achie#e the attended goals of an American Education& As a result) there is a role for federal

go#ernment to set clear e1$ectations for school funding #ia a minimum s$ending threshold for

districts to "e eligi"le to recei#e +itle I funds& CA0 recommends that the federal go#ernment

esta"lish a national $er5$u$il s$ending minimum of =<)6-- $er student after ad7usting for

differences in cost of li#ing&'6 As stated) this is a minimum amount that is recommended)

im$lying that) here a$$lica"le across the country) a higher amount should "e s$ent $er child for

a quality education& igure ;5'' shos the current e1$enditures $er $u$il for elementary and

secondary $u"lic schools in /--) $ro#ing that the difference in e1$enditure $er student has "een

groing for years&

$



In

/-'' the 9e$artment of Education released an article stating that 38 $ercent of elementary

schools ha#e e1$enditures that are at least '- $ercent a"o#e or "elo the district a#erage for such

schools&'8 +he figure for high schools is ,/ $ercent) and for middle schools) 3- $ercent)

illustrating that there is a significant difference in amounts that are s$ent on students&'< Since

$oorer districts are those falling into the category of loer5than5a#erage e1$enditures) the

esta"lishment for mandatory minimum funding s$ent $er student across the country ould assist

in eliminating the o#erall $ro"lem of education inequality&

Eliminate Pro$erty a% as State !unding #ethod

0ro$erty ta1es ha#e alays "een the significant source of funding for schools in the

4nited States&'; +his $oses a serious $ro"lem and concern throughout the country and raises an

%



im$ortant question: (o can all students "e e1$ected to recei#e the same le#el of education

hen they ha#e differing amounts of money "eing circulated throughout the #arying districts

0ennsyl#ania is one state that is see%ing to eliminate $ro$erty ta1es hich ould $ro#ide many

"enefits for the Commonealth) including $ro#iding a fairer and more equal educational system&

+he 0ro$erty +a1 Inde$endence Act ill eliminate all school $ro$erty ta1es across the

Commonealth and ill re$lace those ta1es ith funding from a single state source&' +he most

im$ortant $ro#ision of +he 0ro$erty +a1 Inde$endence Act is that it is ta1 re#enue neutral& +o

$ro#ide a"solute fairness) the legislation has "een carefully crafted to ensure that the ta1 sa$

$ro#ision of the $lan does not raise one dollar more than is already collected "y the school

$ro$erty ta1 mechanism&/- +his method has "een introduced in se#eral states across the country

and is shoing im$ro#ement& If this method is im$lemented in all states) the $ossi"ility of "etter

education equality is #ery high& While this idea ill increase sales ta1 to <. and add items to

the list of ta1a"le items ithin the state) the $lan gi#es a realistic e1am$le to ser#e as a means of

getting citi?ens on "oard ith this method and is as follos: While there are those ho might

o"7ect on an instincti#e le#el to a sales ta1 on the last to items mentioned) consider this: If you

s$end eight thousand dollars annually on indi#idual items of clothing o#er =6- and non5WIC

food $urchases com"ined) the total sales ta1 ould "e =68-& If this is less than your school

$ro$erty ta1 "ill you still ill reali?e a su"stantial reduction in your o#erall ta1 "urden&/'

aising the sales ta1 may hinder indi#iduals from folloing this method2 hoe#er) the

"enefits of dismissing $ro$erty ta1es to allo equal education o$$ortunities regardless of one*s

li#ing location ill outeigh this fact& In addition) the sales ta1 increase ill in most cases still

"e loer than $ro$erty and school ta1es) meaning that ridding states of $ro$erty ta1es has the

$otential to sa#e indi#iduals money&

&



How Will his &oo'?

Lo le#els of $erformance among the most disad#antaged create long5term $ro"lems)

$articularly in an economy in hich higher s%ill le#els are more and more #alued and the ages

a#aila"le to less5s%illed or%ers are deteriorating&// Because of this) it is crucial that the entire

4nited States recogni?es that education inequality is a groing $ro"lem that must "e resol#ed in

order to $ro#ide com$etent and s%illed or%ers hen the children of today*s educational system

reach the age of maintaining careers& Ne e#idence shos that $oor schools are getting

increasingly short5changed "y the states and localities that fund them&/3 +he air unding

Incenti#e Drant method ill no longer allo this to ta%e $lace2 in turn) this cycle of inadequate

funding to $oor schools ill "e "ro%en) $ro#iding ne o$$ortunities ithin education that these

schools may ha#e ne#er dreamed $ossi"le&

As the 4&S& continues to rec%on ith a idening income ga$ "eteen the ealthiest

Americans and marginali?ed communities) $oliticians and ad#ocates ha#e often cited education

access as one of the greater contri"utors @ and $otential solutions @ to the $ro"lem& /, By

tightening the ga$ that e1ists "eteen the ealthy and $oor areas of the country) equal access to

education ill "egin to emerge and ill $ro#ide incredi"le o$$ortunities to those ho ould

otherise ne#er recei#e a real chance in the orld& (oe#er) not ta%ing the necessary actions to

sol#e this $ro"lem may $roduce an e#en "igger $ro"lem don the road&

If ste$s are not ta%en to alle#iate this e#er5groing issue that has "ecome so $re#alent

across America) there ill "e de#astating consequences) "oth short and long term& Income has a

strong correlation ith educational achie#ement on a national le#el hich is seen in many

e1am$les throughout the country&/6 Without ste$s ta%en to change the fact that areas ith loer

income indi#iduals can not $ro#ide the necessary education for all students) the fic%le heel of

'



lo income areas ill continue to s$in& +here is a correlation "eteen students ho come from

ealthier households and their achie#ements and graduation rates) li%ely "ecause of the many

ad#antages they recei#e& +he ma7ority of the ealthiest districts ha#e at least a 6 $ercent

graduation rate& Only to of the ten $oorest districts ha#e graduation rates higher than <6

$ercent&/8

A lac% of a firm education for children from lo income districts ill result in the

continuation of loer graduation rates and may lead to higher high school dro$out rates than

e#er "efore& +his ill ine#ita"ly lead to an ina"ility to achie#e higher $aying 7o"s that ill

sufficiently $ro#ide for themsel#es and for future generations) hich "enefits no one and is one

of the numerous e1am$les of hy education inequality must "e remedied&

How Does his &oo'?

Contrary to the $o$ular "elief that all states across the country utili?e $ro$erty ta1es as

the main source of re#enue for school districts) there is one state in $articular that does not) in

fact) follo this traditional rule& +he state of Ioa started researching as early as the '-s into

the com$le1 nature of educational inequality and from here this issue seemed to deri#e& Ioa

in#estigated the $ossi"ilities of eliminating $ro$erty ta1es& While this is still a or% in $rocess)

Ioa has seen some im$ro#ements in their o#erall allocation of funds and ho they are dis$ersed

throughout the districts to each student& ather than relying on $ro$erty ta1es as the main source

of funding) Ioa has de#elo$ed a ne formula that is designed to equali?e s$ending $er $u$il)

$ro#ide an enrollment decline cushion) $ro#ide ad#ance funding for increasing enrollment

districts) $ro#ide $ro$erty ta1 relief) and much more&/< +he formula that as im$lemented

regulates the amount of money s$ent on costs that are not ithin the immediate range of a

standard education: any additional e1$enses are calculated into the Fcom"ined district costG)

()



hich the district can then use to see% further funds through a com"ination of "oard and #oter

a$$ro#ed ta1es from the state to su$$lement the e1$enditures&/; Ioa has esta"lished a rate $er

student that each district much s$end $er student hich hel$s to $ro#ide the same le#el of

education to e#ery student across the state& Since the use of $ro$erty ta1es to fund education has

"ecome increasingly contro#ersial) Ioa has initiated the $lan of using income surta1es as a ne

source of re#enue or as a $ro$erty ta1 re$lacement&/ +his may seem li%e it could cause similar

$ro"lems as the $ro$erty ta1) yet the state has "een a"le to find a ay to equali?e income #alues

and the rates are e1$ressed $er =')--- of #aluation) hich essentially still "alances out to

esta"lish the tightening of the educational inequality ga$ that e1ists&

3-

Ioa ultimately ser#es as an e1am$le of a state that has "een ma%ing significant efforts to

introduce a system to fund the educational system in a fair and equal manner for all& While no

official num"ers seem to ha#e "een re$orted in terms of the effecti#eness of this strategy) Ioa

remains confident that the data that has "een recei#ed thus far is $romising and loo%s to sho

great im$ro#ement in the educational system&3' Additionally) Ioa*s o#erall graduation rate as a

state to$$ed - $ercent in /-'6 and has clim"ed stateide for the fourth year in a ro during a

time here dro$out rates continue to fall in other states around the country&3/ +he folloing

gra$h de$icts this statistic in relation to Hirginia) aryland) North Carolina) and +ennessee) and

Ioa has $ro#en to "e the leading state for graduation rates among these states&33

((



Ioa*s tremendous graduation rate is undou"tedly correlated to the funding changes that

ha#e "een integrated into the state*s educational system and should "e used as a model for the

other states in the nation&

Where Do We "o (rom Here?

+a%ing action to s$ea% out against this groing $ro"lem is essential to creating the first

a#e of change& Sol#ing this $ro"lem is the duty of $olicy ma%ers and legislators& +he $ro"lem

and the solution to the $ro"lem remain in the hands of those in $oerful $ositions ho are a"le

to enact the necessary changes that this country needs in order for the American Educational

System to $ros$er& It is im$erati#e that legislators im$lement $olicy changes that ill ensure that

each and e#ery student ithin the nation*s school system recei#es an equal le#el of education)

regardless of the state or area from hich they come& It is im$ortant for legislators to discuss

$ossi"le "udgetary changes ithin the districts to ensure that the money is "eing a$$ro$riately

(2



dis$ersed among the schools to ensure the highest quality of education is a#aila"le to the

students& Additionally) legislators must de#elo$ $olicy changes that ill allo for more federal

and state funding to "e dis"ursed to all $u"lic education institutions&

4ltimately) these $ro7ected $olicies need to "e im$lemented in order for change to occur&

0assing las for fair funding incenti#e grants) minimum funding for all students) and the

elimination of $ro$erty ta1es ill "egin to allo for the changes that are incredi"ly necessary to

our nation*s educational system&

Inequality has "ecome ides$read throughout the educational institutions of America and

is an issue that must "e rectified& Without changes at local) state) and federal le#els) this issue

ill continue to orsen and de"ilitate the future of America as children are not recei#ing the

same le#el of education and "eing offered equal o$$ortunities to succeed& ailing to enact

change ill e#entually lead to the crum"ling of the ideals on hich the American Educational

System as founded& +his is the time to $romote change and $ro#ide all youth ith e#ery

o$$ortunity to succeed and to culti#ate a $ros$erous American nation&

(!



Endnotes

' att Blunt) Feada"le)G a#aila"le at htt$:&allreada"le&com8<'dK'<' Jlastaccessed arch /-'8&

/ 4S 9e$artment of Education) Fore +han ,-. of Lo5Income Schools 9on*t Det a

air Share of State and Local unds) 9e$artment of Education esearch inds)Ga#aila"le at htt$:&ed&go#nes$ress5releasesmore5,-5lo5income5schools5dont5get5fair5share5state5and5local5funds5de$artment5education5research5finds Jlast accessedarch /-'8&

3 Center for American 0rogress) F+he 0ersistence of Educational Inequality)G a#aila"le athtt$s:&american$rogress&orgissueseducationnes/-'''/-/'-;-6the5 $ersistence5of5educational5inequality Jlast accessed arch /-'8&

, I"id&6 ussell Sage oundation) FSocial Inequality and Educational 9isad#antageG) a#aila"le at

htt$:&russellsage&orgresearchsocial5inequalitysocial5inequality5and5educational5disad#antage Jlast accessed arch /-'8&

8 !ill Barshay) F+he ga$ "eteen rich and $oor schools gre ,, $ercent o#er a decade)G(echinger e$ort) a#aila"le at htt$:hechingerre$ort&orgthe5ga$5"eteen5rich5and5 $oor5schools5gre5,,5$ercent5o#er5a5decade Jlast accessed arch /-'8&

< I"id&; E#an Comen) +homas C& rohlich) ichael B& Sauter) and Sam Ste""ins) FAmerica*s

richest Jand $oorest school districts)G 4SA +oday) a#aila"le athtt$:&usatoday&comstorymoney"usiness/-'6'--3/,5<5all5st5richest5 $oorest5school5districts<3/-6;<, Jlast accessed arch /-'8&

Center for American 0rogress) FA resh Loo% at School unding)G a#aila"le athtt$s:&american$rogress&orgissueseducationre$ort/-'6-6';''33<a5fresh5loo%5at5school5funding Jlast accessed arch /-'8&

'- I"id&'' I"id&'/ >oshia%i A?uma and (erschel I& Drossman) FEducational Inequality)G National Bureau

of Economic esearch Study)'<J3 J/--': 3/353/<) a#aila"le athtt$:&n"er&org$a$ers;/-82 Center for American 0rogress) FA resh Loo% atSchool unding)G a#aila"le athtt$s:&american$rogres&orgissueseducationre$ort/-'6-6';''33<a5fresh5loo%5at5school5funding Jlast accessed arch /-'8&

'3 Center for American 0rogress) F+he 0ersistence of Educational Inequality)G a#aila"le athtt$s:&american$rogress&orgissueseducationnes/-'''/-/'-;-6the5 $ersistence5of5educational5inequality Jlast accessed arch /-'8&

', Center for American 0rogress) FA resh Loo% at School unding)G a#aila"le athtt$s:&american$rogress&orgissueseducationre$ort/-'6-6';''33<a5fresh5loo%5at5school5funding Jlast accessed arch /-'8&

'6 I"id&'8 Adam Damoran) American Schooling and Educational Inequality: A orecast for the

/'st Century) Sociology of Education <,J8: ',/@',,2 Center for American 0rogress)F+he 0ersistence of Educational Inequality)G a#aila"le at

("



htt$s:&american$rogress&orgissueseducationnes/-'''/-/'-;-6the5 $ersistence5of5educational5inequality Jlast accessed arch /-'8&

'< I"id&'; !eff rant?) FBill to eliminate $ro$erty ta1es raises questions a"out equal funding for

schools)G 0enn Li#e) a#aila"le at

htt$:&$ennli#e&commidstateinde1&ssf/-',-,schoolM$ro$ertyMta1MeliminatioM'&html Jlast accessed arch /-'8&' 0ennsyl#ania +a1$ayers Cy"er Coalition) F+he 0ro$erty +a1 Inde$endence Act)G

a#aila"le at htt$:&$tcc&ussolution&htm Jlast accessed arch /-'8&/- I"id/' I"id&// ussell Sage oundation) FSocial Inequality and Educational 9isad#antageG) a#aila"le at

htt$:&russellsage&orgresearchsocial5inequalitysocial5inequality5and5educational5disad#antage Jlast accessed arch /-'8&

/3 !ill Barshay) F+he ga$ "eteen rich and $oor schools gre ,, $ercent o#er a decade)G(echinger e$ort) a#aila"le at htt$:hechingerre$ort&orgthe5ga$5"eteen5rich5and5

$oor5schools5gre5,,5$ercent5o#er5a5decade Jlast accessed arch /-'8&/, !ulie u7ic) FEducation eform and the ailure to i1 Inequality in America)G +heAtlantic) a#aila"le at htt$:&theatlantic&comeducationarchi#e/-'6'-education5sol#ing5inequality,'/</ Jlast accessed arch /-'8&

/6 E#an Comen) +homas C& rohlich) ichael B& Sauter) and Sam Ste""ins) FAmerica*srichest Jand $oorest school districts)G 4SA +oday) a#aila"le athtt$:&usatoday&comstorymoney"usiness/-'6'--3/,5<5all5st5richest5 $oorest5school5districts<3/-6;<, Jlast accessed arch /-'8&

/8 I"id&/< Leland +ac%) FIoaG) Ioa 9e$artment of Education) 3) a#aila"le at

htt$s:nces&ed&go#edfin$dfStinanceIoa&$df Jlast accessed A$ril /-'8&/; Leland +ac%) FIoaG) Ioa 9e$artment of Education) 65<) a#aila"le at

htt$s:nces&ed&go#edfin$dfStinanceIoa&$df Jlast accessed A$ril /-'8&/ I"id&3- Dary Schart?) FundingG) a#aila"le at htt$s:&educateioa&go#$%5'/school5

facilitiesfundingioa5demonstration5construction5grant5$rogram5har%in5grant5$rogramlast accessed A$ril /-'8&

3' Leland +ac%) FIoaG) Ioa 9e$artment of Education) 65<) a#aila"le athtt$s:nces&ed&go#edfin$dfStinanceIoa&$df Jlast accessed A$ril /-'8&

3/ Leland +ac%) FIoaG) Ioa 9e$artment of Education) 5'/) a#aila"le athtt$s:nces&ed&go#edfin$dfStinanceIoa&$df Jlast accessed A$ril /-'8&

33 Dary Schart?) FundingG) a#aila"le at htt$s:&educateioa&go#$%5'/school5facilitiesfundingioa5demonstration5construction5grant5$rogram5har%in5grant5$rogramlast accessed A$ril /-'8&

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Education Inequality - Issue Brief